[Mb-civic] CBC News - CANADIAN CAMERAMAN, U.S. NEWS ANCHOR WOUNDED IN IRAQ

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CANADIAN CAMERAMAN, U.S. NEWS ANCHOR WOUNDED IN IRAQ
WebPosted Sun Jan 29 11:14:50 2006

---Initial reports about the state of a Canadian cameraman might have
been overly optimistic and both he and a U.S. journalist are in serious
condition after surgery for injuries sustained in an explosion in Iraq,
CBC News has learned.

ABC news anchor Bob Woodruff and his cameraman, Doug Vogt, were wounded
by a roadside bomb while travelling in an Iraqi convoy on Sunday.

The network said they both suffered shrapnel wounds to their heads, while
Vogt – a Canadian based in France – also had a broken
shoulder and Woodruff was wounded in the upper body.

CBC cameraman Brian Kelly, who is friends with Vogt and his wife, spoke
with her after the men underwent surgery at a U.S. military hospital in
Iraq. He said she was initially elated by reports that her husband was in
good condition and talking after surgery.

But she later spoke directly with the doctor, whose report wasn't
as optimistic, said Kelly, who heard about the update through a
mutual friend.

"He told her that while he was able to remove some of the metal from
Doug's brain, there are still two pieces of metal there and his condition
is still serious," Kelly told CBC News.

"I don't think he was talking after the operation and he's certainly not
'fine.' I think someone was just trying to reassure her."



Doctor unsure of extent of damage, Kelly says

Kelly said the doctor told Vogt's wife he didn't know how much damage the
shrapnel had caused.

"I've been in shock and tears most of the afternoon," Kelly said. "You
always feel it's going to happen to someone else."



Vogt, 46, who has three children, is an Emmy Award-winning cameraman with
extensive experience covering armed conflicts. He worked for the CBC and
other broadcasters before taking a contract with ABC.

Woodruff, a 44-year-old who has four children, is the anchor of ABC's
World News Tonight . He has reported from many places in Iraq.

The two men were travelling with the 4th Infantry Division but were
with Iraqi security forces when the device exploded in Taji, just north
of Baghdad.

There were four journalists in the vehicle, but two got out to check an
equipment problem, leaving Woodruff and Vogt inside. "That's when the
explosion happened," Kelly said.

They were both wearing body armour and helmets, he said.

The U.S. military planned to fly the men as soon as possible to its
hospital in Landstuhl, Germany. Three Canadian soldiers were taken to
the same facility after being injured in a suicide bombing in
Afghanistan on Jan 15.



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